Page 4 of His Little Pumpkin (Alphas Fall Hard Collection #2)

LAURA

I f I hadn’t been sitting down, that kiss would have knocked me on my slightly flattened ass.

I’ve never felt wanted like this. After a lifetime of feeling like I didn’t belong and was just being shuffled around, I honestly feel like I’m in the right place at the right time now. Like there’s a chance that Eldon and I belong together.

The logical part of my mind keeps screaming at me not to get my hopes up. Yet there’s one little green flag waving in the back of my brain, full of hope and eager to be a cheerleader.

After a delicious lunch, Eldon agrees to let me come with him to help out in the ranch mess hall – though he makes me promise to rest this evening.

Eldon gets me set up in a corner where I can peel potatoes and carrots.

It’s quiet, pleasant work that gives us a chance to chat about everything under the sun.

From movies to TV shows to books, it feels like our tastes are pretty similar.

We both enjoy cooking shows and police dramas.

We both enjoy reading spy thrillers and watching big dumb action movies while acknowledging that they are big dumb action movies.

When I come over to scrub my hands after a round of chopping parsnips, I notice Eldon giving me a strange look. “What is it?”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but I really need to ask. How old are you?”

I burst out laughing. “Twenty-one.”

He nods. “Yyyeahhh… I’m thirty-five. Is that…you know. Too far apart?”

“Well, if we were taking a quiz on movies from ten years ago, you’d have an unfair advantage,” I smile. “But other than that, it doesn’t bother me.” I step closer, looking up into his incredible deep eyes. “Unless that’s a problem for you? We do seem to have a lot in common…”

He reaches his hands out to me before realizing his fingers are covered in onion juice. His eyes dart toward the door before he leans in to kiss my forehead. “I just want you to be comfortable, pumpkin.”

My insides turn to happy jelly from the use of that word again. It’s not just that it’s charming he’s got a nickname for me already. It’s that this big, rough guy is apparently having sweet feelings about me – better yet, he’s not afraid to show them.

After I’m done with the potatoes and carrots I keep helping him prep dinner, mainly by doing small tasks that keep me out of his way like setting the table and washing things when he’s done with them.

When I hear heavy boots stomping into the dining area, a sudden wave of shyness hits me. How is Eldon going to explain that he picked up some random girl who was hiding behind the pumpkin patch at the grocery store?

Luckily, Eldon senses my discomfort instantly. “I often eat here in the kitchen if I’m busy getting ready for tomorrow. Why don’t you eat here with me, pumpkin? We’ll get you home to the couch for your official rest time in about an hour.”

“Sounds great. Thank you.”

I giggle when it hits me about halfway through dinner. “I’ve loved everything of yours I’ve tried so far. But I just noticed – you manage to put extra vegetables into everything.”

To my surprise, Eldon laughs too. “The guys all think they’re meat and potatoes men.

But they need real fuel for tending the horses, mucking out stalls, and repairing stuff around the ranch.

For that they need nutrients. Which means vegetables.

So yeah…the stews, the soups, hell, even their burgers are stuffed with veggies anywhere I can hide them. ”

I giggle again, poking his shoulder with my finger. “You’re a grandma.”

He scowls, but his eyes are sparkling. “Take that back.”

“Can’t make me.”

He clasps my hand as we laugh together, then his chin jerks up and he springs to his feet as a man walks in the door who is easily as big as Eldon. The reaction has a military precision to it.

“Evenin’, Boss. What can I do for you?”

The man looks back and forth between us with a sly smile. “I could have sworn I heard someone laughing, and a grouch like you has no sense of humor, so…”

Eldon’s hand lands on my shoulder reassuringly. “Boss, this is Laura. My unofficial assistant for a while.”

Boss shakes my hand gently, then steps back, looking between us again, putting two and two together. “Nice to meet you, Laura. Thank you for the help.”

I catch a look between the men that says they’ll discuss this privately later. Boss nods, then disappears again.

We hear chairs shuffling and general chatter from the next room, signaling that the meal is over. It’s easy to follow Eldon’s lead as he brings things into the kitchen, and I load the dishwasher and start scrubbing out the pans that are too large to fit.

I intended to help until the place is spotless, but he starts the machine and then leaves the rest of the pots to soak overnight. “I’ll catch up in the morning. You need rest, beautiful.”

On the way back to his house, walking extra slowly, Eldon takes my hand.

We’re about halfway there when he stops and turns to me.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, Laura.

But I think it would help me make sure you have everything you need if you felt like telling me why such a lovely young woman has no home. ”

Well, I knew I’d have to come clean eventually. Maybe it’s best to get it over with.

“The short version is that my family kind of…took off on me.”

His eyes harden. “And the long version?”

I sigh. “Dad left when I was eight. Mom and her new husband – Jeremy – got married and acted like I was in the way. When I was sixteen they had a baby together, and I guess I was too much of a reminder of Mom’s previous relationship.

I really like my little brother Davis. He’s four now.

I thought I could stay with them and look after him while I was working from home, but they suddenly upped and moved to an area in southern Florida that often gets hit by hurricanes.

” I shudder. “They know I have a phobia about big storms. And even if I didn’t, they made it clear there was no room for me there. ”

His hand is warm against my shoulder as we begin slowly walking again. “What did you do for work?” he asks.

“A bunch of online jobs. Surveys, beta testing websites. Video calls with people learning English to work on their pronunciation, phrasing, timing, that kind of thing.” I look up at him with a smile.

“I’m a hard worker. I was trying to make my way to Las Vegas – I figure they must always need a lot of hotel maids there, right? ”

A grumble rolls through the bottom of his throat as his fingers tighten around my shoulder. “Hell no. You’re not going to Vegas.” There’s a sharp inhale, then he shakes his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t tell you what to do. I just can’t stand the thought of you in a place like that all alone.”

I love that his first instinct was to be so protective. I also love his second reaction was to be careful of his tone.

As soon as we walk in the door, Eldon scoops me up and sets me on the couch, then bundles me up in a blanket. “What movie shall we watch?”

I don’t deserve this kind of paradise, curled up under a blanket with his strong arm around me.

Half an hour later we’re openly snuggling, our fingertips gently roving over bits of exposed skin, the movie forgotten. I reach out to hit pause, then turn to Eldon just as he’s pivoting toward me.

A silent flicker of heat passes between us, then he clutches me to him.

He kisses me gently at first, then his energy picks up steam, lust overtaking us both.

His hand tangles into the back of my hair as my fingers wander down the back of his t-shirt.

His other hand slowly roams around my waist and hip, then down my thigh.

As our lips part, drinking the other in, a low, deep hum resonates through my bones.

I want this man, and he wants me. Heck – he wants me more than anyone else ever has in my life. It’s as if we belong together.

And I’m positive it’s just a matter of time before we sleep in the same bed and do everything together.